AhlulBayt News Agency: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that Gaza is likely facing its worst humanitarian crisis since October 2023.
In a post on X, UNRWA stated that it has now been 11 weeks since Israeli authorities blocked all food, fuel, and medical supplies from entering the territory.
“For 11 weeks, Israeli authorities have deliberately blocked all supplies to Gaza. The only thing entering Gaza right now are bombs. Nowhere is safe,” the agency wrote.
The statement follows intensified Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, which have led to hundreds of casualties and widespread displacement. UNRWA reported that the bombardments from air, land, and sea have devastated civilian areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned on Tuesday that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within the next 48 hours if aid does not reach them in time.
Fletcher criticized the limited humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza, revealing that only five aid trucks entered on Monday—a quantity he described as “a drop in the ocean” given the scale of the crisis.
Britain, France, and Canada, historically close allies of Israel, have threatened sanctions against the regime due to its escalating military offensive and ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid.
This move signals a significant policy shift, as these countries had previously remained largely silent on Israeli actions against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, a petition signed by 761 aid groups and NGOs has urged governments to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and send diplomatic humanitarian convoys through the Rafah crossing.
The petition calls for states to dispatch high-level official diplomatic missions to accompany the waiting aid trucks and ensure their entry into Gaza.
“This act is grounded in states’ legal obligations, moral courage, and human solidarity,” the petition stated.
The effort, launched by Palestinian civil society groups on May 12, gained over 300 signatures within a day, including endorsements from prominent organizations such as Human Rights Watch.
Israel completely blocked all aid to Gaza on March 2, resuming large-scale military operations on March 19 after ceasefire negotiations collapsed.
International humanitarian agencies have warned that Israeli efforts to control aid distribution, including a U.S.-backed proposal, will worsen conditions in Gaza rather than improve them.
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